> I don't get that. Nothing happens. I am old school and feel that every issue needs some action.

Didn't have any problem with it being action-free, the premise of 'a full issue sit down dinner negotiation' could have been fine - if done well. My problem/dislike was with many of the other illogics you point out.

> I have questions. First, how did he contact them? How did he arrange this with the Cops. Why would they come to a sit down?

Yeah. And if it's that easy to round up wanted supervillain felons. After all these years you'd think it could be too...

> Frankly, why are the villains on one side or another? What's there motive? Money? Love of death? Kicks? These things aren't explained. We get no sense of character with anyone.

Yeah. Are we to assume/infer that those are sides chosen in this cheap cheap group photo gimmick opp?

> Just fake it so that the villains think Bats crashed the party and tied Bruce up. There is a mention of hostages, but Joker says he might have killed them already.

And he did kill them. If the storytelling image of the dead men wasn't Bruce's imagination.

> Or maybe drug the food. I don't know, just do something.

Actually was thinking Bruce had done that as insurance but it didn't pan out.

> Why would any sane law-enforcement officer let these guys get away?

Gordon must have had THAT MUCH pull around Year One-ish. Heh. A decade later Batgordon probably regretted that act of compliance so batmuch.

> Also, stop trying to make the Riddler some badass. Catching a thrown knife in mid-air using only two fingers. No, that's not the Riddler.

HATED that feat.

> Also, clinically-depressed Joker isn't the Joker.

Well, that's been the plotline for this arc for whatever it's worth so it's... that.

> The notion that the Joker would actually sit down because he's been forced to? No, not buying it. The Joker plays by his own rules. That's the character. That's always been the character.

Can only guess that 'the invite' included that 'promise of -a share- of 1 billion dollars'. That's understandable incentive and -a share- could technically be a 100/0 split.

> King, you are missing the point of both these characters. Bascially, I've found this story arc to be slow, revealing nothing about the characters and follows no rational story logic.

Not enjoyable untold canon in many ways - including as a longwinded, rambling explanation of how Batnman wronged Catwoman before she considers his proposal. The variant was pointless but y'gotta give it up for the nice grabber symbolic cover image.